Currently, there are two active threads by Firebird owners about aftermarket gauges. I began typing a reply to one of them, and it was getting long and detailed, so I created this thread, and I'm linking it to each of the other threads. This is what Speedhut created for my 87 Formula, custom designed with a defining factory-style element: the grid pattern in 85-92 Firebird gauges.



I believe Camaro gauges are just black, so Camaro owners may or may not be aware of the detail in Firebird gauges, but it mimics the dark grey grid pattern on the shift plate, radio bezel and dash bezel (small amounts on standard dash bezels, a lot on digital dash bezels), and Speedhut can and will reproduce it. But you won't find it with a point-and-click online order. They call their gauges "custom," because you can click on your preferences from their collection of options. But this IS custom, so you'll have to phone it in.



I sent a factory gauge to Speedhut so they'd have a genuine article to work from. The grid they created for my gauges is slightly larger than the factory size. My goal was for a darker, bolder, modern but complementary, 3rdgen Firebird appearance, and the result was exactly what I was going for. But I also had them create a sample with a more accurately sized grid pattern, figuring other Firebird owners might want a more authentic factory appearance in modern aftermarket gauges, and it looked excellent too, so that's available now. Y'all're welcome!

Speedhut's customer service was excellent throughout the process. They're willing to work with you, which makes them easy to work with. And because this was custom work, they sent me samples of the artwork they created, for my approval. Once I approved the samples, then the gauges were produced much more quickly than I expected.

A Firebird owner in one of those other threads said Speedhut gauges fit the factory bezel. Well, yes and no. I got sample cases and bezels in 4" and 4.5" to test fit. The 4" falls through the bezel, barely, like, "missed it by that much." But they might fit in the secondary bezel behind the dash bezel, where they'd be mounted more deeply, sort of like the factory gauges are. But 4" is, and will look, a little smaller than the factory gauges. However, for the few people who have the aluminum trim rings for the front of the dash bezel that were available years ago, those rings could still be used with such an inset 4" set-up.

My gauges are 4.5", which is actually the correct size of the factory gauges. But because of the case, the inner edge of the backside of the bezel holes, just the inner edge, needed to be slightly reamed with a Dremel, then the case popped right through. That'll put the gauge's bezel on the front of the dash bezel, and the gauges secured on the back of the bezel. That trimmed inner edge won't be visible since the gauge cases will be in the holes. However, if you ever want to reinstall the factory gauges, then that trimmed inner edge will be noticeable, so I'd recommend using a previously owned/salvaged bezel to modify. I never cut up my factory original parts when I modify things. I get salvaged/used parts for projects and pack away my original parts, all of which, including the car, are likely to be discovered someday in a future episode of Storage Wars.

My gauges have Speedhut's Modern numbers and ticks in red. The red adds a boldness to the gauges, and it also presents the illusion of illumination during the daytime when the gauges aren't illuminated, which I like. And they're red at night when illuminated, similar to factory. But Speedhut can also do our factory-style numbers, in white, with red backlighting, for a complete factory appearance. Their Modern font IS our factory font, but with a slight slant to it, like C5 and C6 font, so slight, that most people probably wouldn't notice the difference.

The types of gauges I got are for a custom dash for my Formula, which is part of a larger interior project that I won't go into. I was hesitant to show anything at all, but since there are a couple of Firebird owners who are currently considering aftermarket gauges, the time seemed right to, at least, bring to people's attention what Speedhut can and is willing to do (which, I've learned, other manufacturers might not want to do), for people who might want to retain a factory-style element in modern gauges.

 

Those are very cool, thanks for sharing. Good to know there's a pattern at Speedhut now for future use.

Out of curiosity, what are you doing with the two remaining gauge slots?

 

Those holes no longer exist. There are only two holes in my new interior design. But Speedhut offers standard gauges that fit the factory layout, with a tach, a speedo, and duals for the other four gauges, so with the custom grid pattern and white numbers and ticks, people can have reasonably authentic-looking, factory-style modern gauges, if that's their goal. And originality, or, at least, some assemblance of originality has always been important to many 3rdgen owners.

 

What name did Speedhut give the pattern so people can ask for it?

It's nice somebody pioneered getting the pattern with them. You must have sweet talked them to let you send your stock gauges for them to figure this out.

I have a set of Speedhut gauges I never used. The installation and wiring was more than I wanted to deal with. They have their own 3-wire sensors that makes things a pain in the butt.

 

We didn't discuss a name for the pattern. I'd think just ask for the 85-92 Firebird grid pattern dial (they call it a dial, but a lot of people call it a face or a screen) that they custom made for the Firebird owner in Nevada... lol, I don't know. Anyone asking about it would probably have knowledge that Speedhut has made it, so ask for Ayden. He's the lead tech.

He and I worked out the details for the gauges and the order, so he's the guy to start with. Super nice guy, very motivated to assist. Then it was handed off to Tristen in the Art Department who did excellent artwork for the pattern. But I insisted on sending the factory gauge. Looking at pictures on a phone or a computer screen doesn't show colors accurately, nor does it present a good perspective of the pattern, and I wanted them to be sure they knew what their goal was.

160 MPH in that small gauge is also custom. Increasing the ranges of gauges is not something they're usually willing to do, so that was cool. Those small gauges typically only go to 80, 100 and 120 max. I wasn't sure they'd be able to squeeze 160 into it, and I was going to select different style gauges if they couldn't or wouldn't. But the large tach was important to the scheme of my project, and they understood that, so they were cool to help me realize my plan.

All this extra stuff costs, but it's not much extra. Less than it should've been, IMO. But all of their extra costs, 'can do' and 'can't do' are listed in the information package they send you. The gauge range increase is a 'can't do,' but in fine print is said, 'but sometimes we can,' so I pointed that out, proposed it, and they were ok with it. You'll never know unless you ask, right?

The sensors they use are supposed to be fairly new, and they're two-wire, not three. But they still list their older sensors for older versions of their gauges. That's still to do yet.

I was a little concerned about where I'd mount the GPS sensor. I don't like things stuck on the dash, and I didn't really want to put it on the roof either. It's magnetized, but not very strong, so it probably wouldn't stay on the roof anyway. He said it will work under a fiberglass hood, but not under a metal hood, and I liked that, because my ISMA hood will be on the car, so I'll put it on the cowl under the rear of the hood, where it'll be safe and out of site.

 

I have a gps antenna for my speedometer and it's mounted on the cowl near the hood hinge, like right under the VIN. And don't have any issues with reception.

 

very cool. I wonder if they could incorporate a AFR digital display and oil temp gauge in place of the additional digital display and gauge you have in the tach - will enquire

 

Good to know, thanks. Yeah, I can see it fitting there. And there's room on the passenger side for the SXM antenna. Or both on the passenger side because there's more space over there. Either way, all good.

 

I'm thinking that would be too much deviation from the designs of the gauges. Complete changes are on their 'can't do' list, but money can be motivational, so you never know. I don't represent them, so I'm just looking at the website like you can, but you can contact them and see what they have to say.

Mine is a 4.5" Dual GPS Speedometer, and they only come as TACH/speedo, SPEEDO/tach and SPEEDO/fuel, with my caps representing the larger gauge. You're in the UK, so your KMH options appear to be more limited than our MPH options. KMH options for Dual GPS Speedometers are just SPEEDO/tach and SPEEDO/fuel, no larger tach design. So you'd be asking for a SPEEDO/oil temp or SPEEDO/a-f? I suspect that would be a too much of a change, and that you'll probably have to get creative to keep your ideas within the scope of their designs. But they offer similarly small oil temp gauges in some of the Quad gauges (like my other gauge), so maybe they could swap out the fuel gauge in the Speedo for an oil temp or a-f gauge, but I kind of doubt it.

I see they offer small oil temp gauges, and small a-f gauges, so maybe they could do the pair in a large dual gauge, then you could have a large Quad gauge with the four standard gauges in it (mine, but in Celsius), along with a large tach gauge and a large speedo gauge, and you'd have four gauges across the dash, all in the factory-style. Just trying to think a little creatively because I think you're probably going to have to.

The menu features in the digital window are: odometer/trip odometer, odometer/clock, odometer/elevation, odometer/mph (or kmh), odometer/compass, peak speed you've reached, 0-60 timer, and a 1/4-mile timer (however those last two pertain to kmh). And there are a couple of Tach set-up features too. But here, too, I'm kind of doubting that they'd make even minor changes, let alone drastic ones, like programming an a-f feature.

Best if you give Ayden a call and run your ideas past him. The two of you might be able to come up with a plan that you like.

 

Im pretty sure I myself responded to the thread. The guage does fit, But I gutted the factory housing and the gauges themselves are mounted to a spacer plate made of plexiglass. The plexiglass is mounted to the factory housing and the factory cover fits over it.

 

@LAFireboyd any chance you could put one of those gauges in the bezel to show what it looks like sitting on the front of the bezel vs factory dash. I am getting ready to pull the trigger, but trying to figure out if I want to go 4" or 4.5".

 

Post #1692 with 4" gauge,
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/ltx-...ml#post6456268

 

Thanks @QwkTrip , not sure how I missed your thread. That helps out a lot.

 

Ok, I took a lot of pictures today. Assuming the limit of pictures per post is still 12, then I'll have two posts. This one will be for 4.5" fitment, and the next post will be for 4" fitment. I won't be displaying my actual gauge in my dash because my dash's new design is "something completely different" and won't show how it looks in a stock dash bezel, which is what you need to see, so it will be in dirty scrap bezels that I brainstorm with and sketch on. Likewise, the 4" will be in scrap bezels too.

First is a 4.5" empty case. I think it's common knowledge that Speedhut cases are threaded on the outside and use a locking ring to secure them to the backside of whatever you're installing them in, a bezel in this case. It's a nice design. But being threaded can also matter for this installation because after you pop the gauges into the bezel, you might have to back them out if you want to remove them. That's why in one of my above posts I suggested knocking down the inner edge of the holes on the backside of the bezel all the way around with a Dremel (or the method of your choice), which I'm pointing at in the second picture with a blue arrow. That makes the gauges easier to install and remove; just pop them in and pop them out.



Next is kind of a fun picture. It's my "gauges" in a bezel. These are 4.5" empty cases, each with a different bezel, with paper cutouts of the dial samples that I printed out to scale with my printer lol. These were my test pieces. As you can see, 4.5" is exactly the right size, for both, fitment and appearance.


And the next three are of my Dual GPS Speedometer gauge, from different angles, showing how perfectly a 4.5" gauge fits.




I think that should show enough and answer most questions about appearance and fitment of Speedhut's 4.5" gauges. Now on to the next post for similar pictures of 4" fitment.

 

The pictures in this post show how Speedhut's 4" gauges fit our stock bezels, again, in dirty scrap bezels, using a 4" empty case. This shows the purest form of fitment, the way they'll look with stock parts, with nothing fancy added to adjust the way they fit or look. These fit the inner bezel, which is the bezel behind the outer finished bezel, giving them depth (sort of like factory) and an angled fit, so you'll look down into them, like we view our factory gauges, not straight at them.

And to reiterate something I said in an earlier post, 4" will fall through the holes in the dash bezel, that being outer finished bezel, so if you don't like the way they fit in the inner bezel, then you'll have to create your own way to mount them, because you can't mount them in the larger dash bezel holes, like you can 4.5" gauges. Then when the dash bezel is placed over them, they'll have a recessed appearance, like a bezel within a bezel, sort of. A bit small, IMO, but we all have our preferences, and that's cool. And I suspect you'd have to use a "hollowed out" factory cluster's white housing behind them for proper mounting and spacing in the dash structure, like the factory cluster fits.

In these first pictures, it's mounted in the inner bezel. The red bezel on the case was a Chrome Smoothie bezel that I was playing around with transparent paints. On a side note, I got 6 extra 4.5" Chrome Smoothie bezels for my real gauges: 2 will stay Chrome; 2 will be red chrome, and 2 will be black chrome. Then I can play with different "looks," or just change them up from time to time (which I'll never do lol). I love the Revolution Black bezels on them, but I think the black chrome bezels are going to challenge them for best appearance: dark with some flash. But I digress... 4" case in the inner bezel pictured below:




Next, the dash bezel over it, like they'd look in a finished installation.



And something else I mentioned in a different post, if you have a set of trim rings that were available several years ago, then you can still use them in the bezel holes, as you'll see in the next two pictures. And if that's your plan, then you might want to coordinate the gauge's bezel color to go with the trim ring, like Revolution Silver (for a "stepped" appearance) or Revolution Black. This will give you multi-leveled bezels, which could add an interesting effect.




So that's how 4" will fit with the stock bezels. A bit small, IMO. And, again, you might have to get creative if you don't like the angled fit and appearance. Whereas 4.5" matches the size of the bezel holes and simply pops in.

 

I have my sxm antenna on the roof about where you would expect a sharkfin to have been. The cable is extremely long and I had no issue running it along the passenger side, up the sail panel, and over the hatch trim. It passes between the glass and weatherstrip without issues and doesn't leak when I wash the car.

 

The link I provided drops you into Post #1692 where I mount the gauges to the dash. If you scroll down just one post to Post #1691 you'll see more pictures where I attempt to mount the gauges in the tapered holes of the gauge pod bezel and why it doesn't work. The tapered holes in that bezel are not uniform or even the same from hole to hole. The gauges will sit cockeyed, and sit different from hole to hole.

Honestly, my conclusion is the stock gauges look best and that's why I kept them. I recalibrated my 8K rpm V6 tach to V8. And I replaced my 120 mph speedo (that was getting pinned in 1/4 runs) with a 140 mph speedo. That's all I really needed.

 

Hence, why I said people might have to come up with a creative way to make 4" gauges fit.

The inner bezel is designed for line of sight, so the angles of the holes in the bezel are wonky on purpose lol. As the gauges get farther from the driver, the viewing angles change so the driver can still maintain a good view into each gauge. But the holes in the outer/main dash bezel are uniform and straight, and 4.5" gauges pop into each of them perfectly.

I suspect most people's first thoughts are probably that 4" is going to be the right size for the best fit. I thought it might be too, that's why I got empty cases in both sizes. But 4" is too small. 4.5" seemed like it would be too large, and I suspect most people think that too, but 4.5" is just right. And as it turns out, a Dual GPS Speedometer like the one I have is only available in 4.5", so if someone wants one of those gauges, then he'll have no choice but to go with 4.5", which is ok because it's the better fitting, more accurate size.

BTW, I stopped at one of your gas stations a few weeks ago during my run to New Orleans. First time at one. Nice place. You should be proud.

 

I look at it as recessed vs. face mount. Get 4" for recessed, get 4.5" for face mount. Very different looks in the car.

But yes, 4" is a smaller viewing window than stock.

 

When I am pricing things out at speedhut, it is roughly a $66 difference between 4" and 4.5",but I would like to retain the recessed look. I was going to cut up my current gauge cluster, but when I looked on Hawks and realized they are wanting $250 for the140mph speed cluster, I decided I think I will find something else to cut up. With fab work is it possible to mount the 4.5" behind the bezel, granted you are hiding the trim ring?

 

Something like this? Yes. And it will look good. I'd think some people have probably done it that way. Anything is possible, depending on motivation and capabilities. But you'll have to line them up precisely.


That's how the kits from NVU (New Vintage USA) are designed, which is the company I suspect Hawk's was trying to get to make the kits with a factory-style appearance, but one or both of them bailed out on the project, although the reality of the bail out was probably more likely due to typical 3rdgen owner cheapery. NVU gauges are 4-3/8".



But to install them like that, it'll take precision accuracy, or it'll be noticeably off, even if only by the smallest of margins. Even the guy from NVU who created that, when I was trying to get him to do something custom for me, recommended mounting them through the bezel. But yes, as you can see, 4.5" can be mounted behind the bezel.

 

Awesome, thanks for the information and pictures.

 

That would be slick to hide the gauge ring behind the dash.

 

..following

 

There won't be anything more to follow. As far as I'm concerned the mods can lock the thread.

Turns out, Speedhut's enthusiastic customer service was nothing more than a sales pitch. I wasn't going to revive the thread to discuss what happened, but since the thread's been brought back, here it is.

After closer inspection, I discovered a small blemish, two actually, on the dial of one of the gauges, and Speedhut's stance was, it passed their inspection after they printed it, therefore if I wanted a new dial printed, I'd have to pay for it. In other words, MY opinion doesn't matter, only their own opinion matters.

The initial printings failed so badly that I was surprised to learn they have an inspection department at all. Stevie Wonder could've seen the defects in their initial printings, which aren't the ones pictured in this thread.

The gauges you see in this thread are their second attempt. But I didn't mention any of that because they made good on it, so I fully intended to keep this thread positive and let it fade away, rather than disclose what happened next...

But this time around, a so-called "manager" got involved, and frankly, he was a D and wouldn't run one more printing unless I paid more. Not even both of them needs to be reprinted again, just one.

But if I'd have objected to the quality of the third one, then I'd have to pay, yet, again for another printing and so-on. It could've been an endless cycle, so I stopped corresponding, and so have they.

I'd return all of it, but I'd end up losing a couple hundred in taxes and shipping costs, because that was all going to be on me, whereas they'd have only been out about $15 more by printing another dial.

So Speedhut was willing to take the gauges back and return about $1,000, rather than spend about $15 more, which, again, would've still left me out a couple of hundred. But I'm still considering it.

So this is done as far as I'm concerned. If anyone goes through the process, be sure you examine the custom printed dials very carefully. And then be sure you tell them to thank me for your business, not for any kind of kickback, btw, but just for the satisfaction of knowing they're getting business because of a customer they got cheap on and screwed over.

 

I am currently waiting for my gauges to arrive. I didn't opt for any special print because a few back and forth correspondence with them made me feel like it wouldn't be worth the extra effort, so I just went for the plain black back ground just to be slightly different than factory. Thank you @LAFireboyd for the follow up and the information you have posted and given.

 

im sorry to read how this turned out for you.
there arent many choices of decent looking aftermarket gauges fir the firebirds, and im hoping to get these speedhut gauges.
they have made several others for me for customer builds, so fingers crossed, you just had a bad experience.
If the mods close the thread, I'll make a new one for those of us who try again..

thank you for your time

 

I wasn't going to revive this thread again, but I had to send a gauge back for a minor adjustment, and Speedhut took care of it, so we're all good.

But the main reason I'm reviving this thread is to link a new thread I created in the Product Review Forum for a plug-n-play instrument harness connector kit I just got from Newrad Solutions. Super nice kit for connecting aftermarket gauges to the factory harnesses.
Plug-n-Play Dash Harness, Newrad Solutions - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

 

These connectors would have really been cool 4 yrs ago when I built the harness for my gauge cluster. I was specifically looking for something like this. Cool product